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According to rugby specialists, the young playmaker has shown why he deserves the first-choice spot as England's fly-half versus New Zealand this weekend.

Fin Smith delivered arguably the best defensive performance we have seen from an England fly-half in several years.

How he fronted up through regularly completing his tackles versus an aggressive Fijian team stood out remarkably.

His tactical control proved exceptional - he showed a perfect blend of finesse and control, and made some strong choices when things didn't proceed as expected in the first half.

Defensive Excellence and Strategic Leadership

His capacity to calm the team tactically and make important decisions is something he has truly mastered.

In my opinion, Fin Smith is England's primary fly-half and he should start versus the All Blacks this weekend.

I think head coach Steve Borthwick sees it that way as well, because Fin has demonstrated his capability during important international games.

Squad Decisions and Competition

The experienced fly-half started the previous weekend against Australia due to captaincy reasons, with some aspect of that decision was to provide continuity while acknowledging his performance from the tour of Argentina.

But England's showing versus the Pacific Islanders was a significant step up from the performance versus the Wallabies.

The Wallabies lost in Italy last weekend, therefore we must avoid becoming overly excited about that victory, that could have been by a larger margin considering how off the pace the Australians performed.

Fiji, on the other hand, were much more threatening and presented a far tougher challenge.

Future Prospects

Fin Smith is still only 23 - projecting forward 24 months, alongside Ford challenging him but also offering support, I think Smith will find himself in a very strong place as a player.

Marcus Smith also has to be considered as a possibility when appropriate and versus suitable opponents.

He is developing as a player and is starting to establish himself, though he needs the freedom to show his unique attributes.

Substitute Influence

The All Blacks introduced their impact player, who scored the match-winning try to beat Scotland, and that shows the significance of possessing individuals who can make genuine influence as substitutes.

Such type of player might represent the deciding factor separating victory a World Cup from failure.

McKenzie observes the game develop from the bench and thinks regarding ways to create a difference upon entering.

His decision-making and error rate have enhanced substantially since his early professional days.

Positional Debate

If we can get Smith to be that kind of impactful performer, including him in the backfield might prove valuable.

Nonetheless, at the moment I don't think he represents the solution at full-back, making it a role that is still up for grabs.

New Zealand will kick to challenge the English backfield, therefore it must remain impenetrable.

This role requiring transforming into a genuine asset, both defensively while regarding offensive transitions threat.

Right now, I believe Smith is a full-back in top-tier rugby.

I struggle to identify the benefit fielding him there.

I want possession in his hands frequently, though I think that should be among starters, especially during the last 20 minutes.

Innate Qualities

There are obviously numerous parallels comparing Ford and Fin Smith.

Smith possesses the ability to make right choices under pressure - his instincts represent traits you can really taught.

I remember as he received possession at one stage just inside his territory and it looked like it could be should they swung it wide.

However during these milliseconds he thought they needed to turn Fiji round as we are up on the scoreboard, so he kicked it to pin the opponents applying pressure.

That's the sort of playmaking that wins titles while claiming global tournaments.

Complete Package

He also has composure during intensity to organise teammates nearby, while recognizing that he doesn't constantly serve to be the first receiver.

I want to see him given the chance demonstrating this at elite standards soon, just as we have seen George Ford do, especially at domestic matches repeatedly consistently.

In Argentina, Ford also stood up in difficult situations, where historically one might suggest occasions existed where he didn't fully delivered in the very highest-pressure matches.

I think we have playmaking options capable of performing the job, though Smith's defensive work combined with additional qualities, it makes him the better-rounded versatile player.

Tactical Setup

It also means there's no need to adjust the defensive structure while fielding an assertive player occupying the playmaker channel, instead of an individual being a little more passive.

You could also make a strong case for Ford starting and Fin Smith coming off substitution.

There are so many considerations occurring privately, however the coaches choose to proceed, it will give New Zealand problems.

That has not always been the narrative against the All Blacks, where the focus concentrated solely on selecting the optimal individual.

On this occasion, either playmaker they choose can put the All Blacks under real pressure.

Smith's capacity selecting optimal kicks and execute for a potential 50-20 can take all the stress off England.